In an unusual strategy for professional football, midfielder Ovie Ejaria, a former Liverpool player, has turned to LinkedIn to find a new team and continue his career.
The transfer market saw an unconventional move in recent days. 28-year-old Ovie Ejaria used the professional networking site LinkedIn to share his resume and seek a new opportunity. Currently a free agent, the midfielder is looking for a new club following the expiration of his contract with Real Oviedo, which was relegated in the last season of the Spanish Championship.
Career path and the search for new opportunities
Developed in the Arsenal youth academy and with a notable stint at Liverpool, Ejaria has gained experience at clubs such as Sunderland, Rangers, and Reading. The player, who was part of the England squad that won the 2017 U-20 World Cup, used the platform’s reach to highlight his stats and technical abilities, attempting to overcome the difficulties of finding a new home in the competitive European market.
The digital revolution in athlete careers
The case of Ovie Ejaria illustrates a transformation in how football connects with technology. Beyond traditional social media, data-focused tools such as the CUJU app—which uses artificial intelligence to evaluate athletes—are gaining ground in the sport. The German platform allows players to perform monitored training via their smartphones, generating rankings based on metrics such as speed, agility, and endurance.
“Ejaria’s case shows that football is also finding new ways to use digital platforms to create professional connections. With CUJU, we bring that logic onto the pitch: the player can build their profile, record their performance, and use data to showcase their attributes to those looking for new talent,” comments Thaiany Klarmann, the platform’s marketing director.
Impact and future trends
The digitalization of scouting is a clear trend. Players like Alex Bruno, a Brazilian U-20 champion with Vasco, and athletes who were part of the Corinthians youth system have already used data analysis tools to boost their careers. Although technology does not replace the human analysis of experienced scouts, it offers global reach, allowing out-of-contract athletes to gain visibility in an ecosystem increasingly driven by numbers and efficiency.
Looking ahead, it is expected that the use of digital platforms will become standard practice, allowing talent from different parts of the world to have immediate visibility in elite centers, such as the Premier League or the Brazilian Serie A. Ovie Ejaria’s initiative sets an important precedent for high-level professionals looking to re-enter the mainstream circuit.
By M360 Team
